Washington, Aug 1 -

Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry announced a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant of $58,952 to a local fire department in the Tenth Congressional District.

The grant will go to George Hildebran Fire & Rescue in Burke County, and comes in the fifth round of this year’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), which aims to help firefighters and first responders throughout the country.  Local departments applied for the grants, and the program is administered by the Department’s Preparedness Directorate’s Office of Grants and Training. 

“This is the third consecutive year that George Hildebran Fire and Rescue has received an AFG Grant,” Congressman McHenry stated.  “That is certainly a testament not just to those in the department who wrote the grant, but to the professionalism and dedication of the entire department.”

According to Captain Derek Brittain, the department will use the funds to purchase new hoses for their trucks.   

Last fiscal year, twenty-eight fire departments in the Tenth Congressional District received AFG funding for a total of $3,138,123 in funds disbursed.  At least two departments in each of the ten counties of the Tenth Congressional District received AFG Grants. 

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